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Afterlight
Tara Dunne doesn’t believe in fresh starts. Not after the man that broke her, not after the video that will not stop haunting her, not after years of silence that left her angry at the world and at herself.
Then, Ciarán Travers walks back into her life.
She met him once, years ago at a party, a blur of music and laughter. Four years later, in the small Irish town they both call home, he is suddenly back, steady in ways she is not and impossible to ignore. He should not care, not when she is chaos wrapped in a hoodie with fists ready for a fight, but he does. And when Tara’s past collides with her present, Ciarán is the only one who refuses to let her drown in it.
But healing is not simple. Not when rumours spread faster than truth. Not when old wounds reopen. Not when facing the person who hurt you means tearing yourself open in front of everyone.
Tara’s story is not about falling apart. It is about fighting back. It is about friendship, found family, and the kind of love that feels like safety after the storm.
Set in Ireland, Afterlight is raw, heart-shattering, and ultimately hopeful. A story about surviving the dark and learning how to live again when morning comes.
Then, Ciarán Travers walks back into her life.
She met him once, years ago at a party, a blur of music and laughter. Four years later, in the small Irish town they both call home, he is suddenly back, steady in ways she is not and impossible to ignore. He should not care, not when she is chaos wrapped in a hoodie with fists ready for a fight, but he does. And when Tara’s past collides with her present, Ciarán is the only one who refuses to let her drown in it.
But healing is not simple. Not when rumours spread faster than truth. Not when old wounds reopen. Not when facing the person who hurt you means tearing yourself open in front of everyone.
Tara’s story is not about falling apart. It is about fighting back. It is about friendship, found family, and the kind of love that feels like safety after the storm.
Set in Ireland, Afterlight is raw, heart-shattering, and ultimately hopeful. A story about surviving the dark and learning how to live again when morning comes.
534 pages, Paperback
Published September 10, 2025
3 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 31, 2025
Afterlight truly was such an amazing book! The storyline of Tara meant more to me than I can explain. The entire book, start to finish, had me hooked and wanting more. I cannot wait for the next book to be published. If anyone wants a heartbreaking book with trauma healing and romance themes PLEASE for the love of god buy this book!!!! I will never get over this!
December 29, 2025
Got it for Christmas as read it in two days. Wow. Watched the story of this book come alive through the authors TikTok and it really lived up to my expectations, especially for such a young new author! Tara’s story is such an eye opener for many and I love the Irish setting so much, it was fun to read but the language wasn’t overwhelming. I appreciated the trigger warnings and use of helplines at the start of the book too, it really shows how this book and topics within was wrote with such care and delicacy. I can’t wait to read more from Cait Maria.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews